1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image retrieval method and to an image retrieval apparatus, which are suitably used for retrieving image information recorded by, for example, digital cameras or digital video cameras.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the recent widespread use of digital cameras and digital video cameras, digitized images can be easily obtained. It also becomes possible to store a few hundred of such images as image data in a recording medium. Generally, the image data is not stored in only a specific area of a single storage unit, but is stored as image data files in a plurality of recording media or in a plurality of folders in a large-capacity storage unit.
As one of the conventional image retrieval methods for retrieving a desired image from image data stored by being distributed in a plurality of storage units, the following method is known. Images of icons, each having a size of a thumb-nail, which are referred to as xe2x80x9cthumb-nail imagesxe2x80x9d, have been created for each medium or in each folder. By visually checking the thumb-nail images in each medium or in each folder, a desired image can be retrieved.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-196375 discloses the following type of image retrieval apparatus. A list of reduced images has been created by extracting characteristic portions of the individual images, and such a list is displayed. Keywords related to the images are provided. With this arrangement, an image matching the retrieval conditions can be acquired.
The following electronic file method and apparatus are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-114845. The frames and names of all the folders are initially displayed, and then, reduced images representing the individual folders are displayed. While the reduced images are being displayed, the index is indicated. When a particular page (document) is selected from this index, the display of the reduced images is interrupted, and the selected page (document) is displayed.
According to the aforementioned conventional image retrieval methods and apparatuses, however, it is necessary to visually check the individual thumb-nail images corresponding to a plurality of media or folders. This requires the exchange of recording media, which is troublesome and time-consuming. Accordingly, there is a demand that images stored in each medium be retrievable without the need for the exchange of media. However, the above-described image retrieval apparatus, and the electronic file method and apparatus cannot satisfy the above demand.
Accordingly, in view of the above background, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image retrieval method and an image retrieval apparatus in which it is possible to identify in which image-information recording medium or in which image-information group an image to be retrieved is included.
In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image management apparatus including image-information recording means for recording a plurality of items of image information on an image-information recording medium. Reduced-image generating means generates a reduced image of a predetermined group of the image information recorded on each predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium. The generated reduced image is stored in the image-information recording medium.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image management method including the steps of: recording a plurality of items of image information on an image-information recording medium; and generating a reduced image of a predetermined group of the image information recorded on each predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium. The generated reduced image is stored in the image-information recording medium.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium for storing a program implementing the aforementioned image management method.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image retrieval apparatus including image-information recording means for recording a plurality of items of image information on an image-information recording medium. Reduced-image generating means generates a reduced image of a predetermined group of the image information recorded on each predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium. The generated reduced image is stored in the image-information recording medium. Image-group ID-code generating means generates an ID code of the reduced image, an ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and an ID code of the predetermined group while correlating the ID code of the reduced image with the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium and the ID code of the predetermined group. Retrieval-information storage means stores, together with the reduced image, the ID code of the reduced image, the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and the ID code of the predetermined group. A desired item of image information is retrieved by using the ID code of the reduced image, the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and the ID code of the predetermined group.
With this configuration, the reduced image can be correlated with the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium and the ID code of the predetermined group. It is thus possible to visually check, by referring to the reduced image, in which unit of the image-information recording medium or in which predetermined group a target image is included. Then, the unit of the image-information recording medium can be specified to retrieve the target image. Additionally, since the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium and that of the predetermined group can be obtained, the ID code of the corresponding reduced image can be easily specified, thereby retrieving the reduced image. As a consequence, with a simple configuration, a target image can be retrieved by sequentially checking the reduced image visually.
In the aforementioned image retrieval apparatus, the ID code of the reduced image, the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and the ID code of the predetermined group may be recorded on the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium.
With this arrangement, the target reduced image can be obtained from the ID code of the reduced image and from the ID code of the predetermined unit of the recording medium and that of the predetermined groups, all of the ID codes being recorded on the predetermined unit of the image-information recording media. Accordingly, a target image can be retrieved by visually checking the reduced image of the specified image-information recording medium or the predetermined group.
In the aforementioned image retrieval apparatus, the ID code of the reduced image, the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and the ID code of the predetermined group may be printed on a label, and the label may be attached to the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium.
With this arrangement, without erroneously selecting the unit of the recording medium, the corresponding reduced image can be reliably obtained from the ID code of the reduced image, and the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium and that of the predetermined group, all of the ID codes being indicated on the predetermined unit of the recording medium. It is thus possible to retrieve a target image by visually checking the reduced image of the specified unit of the image-information recording medium and the predetermined group.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image retrieval method including the steps of: recording a plurality of items of image information on an image-information recording medium; generating a reduced image of a predetermined group of the image information recorded on each predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, the generated reduced image being stored in the image-information recording medium; generating an ID code of the reduced image, an ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and an ID code of the predetermined group while correlating the ID code of the reduced image with the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium and the ID code of the predetermined group; and storing the ID code of the reduced image, the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and the ID code of the predetermined group together with the reduced image. A desired item of image information is retrieved by using the ID code of the reduced image, the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and the ID code of the predetermined group.
With this arrangement, the reduced image can be correlated with the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium and that of the predetermined group. It is thus possible to visually check, by referring to the reduced image, in which unit of the image-information recording medium or in which predetermined group a target image is included. Then, the unit of the image-information recording medium can be specified, and a target image can be retrieved merely by searching the specified unit of the recording medium. Additionally, the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium and that of the predetermined group can be obtained, and thus, the corresponding ID code of the reduced image can be acquired, thereby retrieving the corresponding reduced image. As a result, a target image can be retrieved by sequentially checking the reduced image visually, thereby decreasing the retrieval processing time.
In the aforementioned image retrieval method, the storing step may store a retrieval word in correspondence with the reduced image, the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and the predetermined group, and the ID code of the reduced image, the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and the ID code of the predetermined group may be output in correspondence with the retrieval word.
With this arrangement, the ID code of the reduced image and the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium and that of the predetermined group are output in correspondence with the input retrieval word. Accordingly, the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium and the predetermined group can be easily specified, and also, the ID code of the corresponding reduced image can be obtained. It is thus possible to retrieve a target image by sequentially checking the corresponding reduced image visually.
In the aforementioned image retrieval method, the reduced image may be stored by selecting a desired item of image information. Accordingly, characteristic reduced image can be selected. By referring to the characteristic reduced image, the corresponding unit of image-information recording medium and the predetermined group can be specified. This eliminates the unnecessary retrieval operation and enhances efficient retrieval of a target image in a short time.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium for storing a program implementing the aforementioned image retrieval method.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image printing apparatus including image-information recording means for recording a plurality of items of image information on an image-information recording medium. Reduced-image generating means generates a reduced image of a predetermined group of the image information recorded on each predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium. The generated reduced image is stored in the image-information recording medium. Image-group ID-code generating means generates an ID code of the reduced image, an ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and an ID code of the predetermined group while correlating the ID code of the reduced image with the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium and the ID code of the predetermined group. Retrieval-information storage means stores the ID code of the reduced image, the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and the ID code of the predetermined group together with the reduced image. Printing means prints the ID code of the reduced image, the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and the ID code of the predetermined group on a label, the label being attached to the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium. A desired item of image information is retrieved by using the ID code of the reduced image, the ID code of the predetermined unit of the image-information recording medium, and the ID code of the predetermined group.